Soybean cultivar S80-J2

ABSTRACT

The invention is a novel soybean cultivar designated S80-J2 with high yield potential, late (early group VIII) maturity, and high levels of resistance to cyst nematode and stem canker. The invention relates to seeds of the cultivar S80-J2, plants of the cultivar S80-J2, and to methods for producing a soybean plant by crossing of the cultivar S80-J2 by itself or another soybean genotype.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention is in the field of soybean breeding, specificallyrelating to a soybean cultivar designated S80-J2.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinctive soybean cultivar,designated S80-J2. There are numerous steps in the development of anynovel, desirable plant germplasm. Plant breeding begins with theanalysis and definition of problems and weaknesses of the currentgermplasm, the establishment of program goals, and the definition ofspecific breeding objectives. The next step is selection of germplasmthat possess the traits to meet the program goals. The goal is tocombine in a single variety an improved combination of desirable traitsfrom the parental germplasm. These important traits may include higherseed yield, resistance to diseases and insects, better stems and roots,tolerance to drought and heat, and better agronomic quality.

Choice of breeding or selection methods depends on the mode of plantreproduction, the heritability of the trait(s) being improved, and thetype of cultivar used commercially (e.g., F₁ hybrid cultivar, purelinecultivar, etc.). For highly heritable traits, a choice of superiorindividual plants evaluated at a single location will be effective,whereas for traits with low heritability, selection should be based onmean values obtained from replicated evaluations of families of relatedplants. Popular selection methods commonly include pedigree selection,modified pedigree selection, mass selection, and recurrent selection.

The complexity of inheritance influences choice of the breeding method.Backcross breeding is used to transfer one or a few favorable genes fora highly heritable trait into a desirable cultivar. This approach hasbeen used extensively for breeding disease-resistant cultivars. Variousrecurrent selection techniques are used to improve quantitativelyinherited traits controlled by numerous genes. The use of recurrentselection in self-pollinating crops depends on the ease of pollination,the frequency of successful hybrids from each pollination, and thenumber of hybrid offspring from each successful cross.

Each breeding program should include a periodic, objective evaluation ofthe efficiency of the breeding procedure. Evaluation criteria varydepending on the goal and objectives, but should include gain fromselection per year based on comparisons to an appropriate standard,overall value of the advanced breeding lines, and number of successfulcultivars produced per unit of input (e.g., per year, per dollarexpended, etc.).

Promising advanced breeding lines are thoroughly tested and compared toappropriate standards in environments representative of the commercialtarget area(s) for three or more years. The best lines are candidatesfor new commercial cultivars; those still deficient in a few traits maybe used as parents to produce new populations for further selection.

These processes, which lead to the final step of marketing anddistribution, usually take from eight to 12 years from the time thefirst cross is made. Therefore, development of new cultivars is atime-consuming process that requires precise forward planning, efficientuse of resources, and a minimum of changes in direction.

A most difficult task is the identification of individuals that aregenetically superior, because for most traits the true genotypic valueis masked by other confounding plant traits or environmental factors.One method of identifying a superior plant is to observe its performancerelative to other experimental plants and to a widely grown standardcultivar. If a single observation is inconclusive, replicatedobservations provide a better estimate of its genetic worth.

The goal of a plant breeding is to develop new, unique and superiorsoybean cultivars and hybrids. The breeder initially selects and crossestwo or more parental lines, followed by repeated selfing and selection,producing many new genetic combinations. The breeder can theoreticallygenerate billions of different genetic combinations via crossing,selfing and mutations. The breeder has no direct control at the cellularlevel. Therefore, two breeders will never develop the same line, or evenvery similar lines, having the same soybean traits.

Each year, the plant breeder selects the germplasm to advance to thenext generation. This germplasm is grown under unique and differentgeographical, climate and soil conditions, and further selection arethen made, during and at the end of the growing season. The cultivarswhich are developed are unpredictable. This unpredictability is becausethe breeder's selection occurs in unique environments and with millionsof different possible genetic combinations being generated. A breeder ofordinary skill in the art cannot predict the final resulting lines hedevelops, except possibly in a very gross and general fashion. The samebreeder cannot produce the same cultivar twice by using the exact sameoriginal parents and the same selection techniques. Thisunpredictability results in the expenditure of large amounts of researchmonies to develop superior new soybean cultivars.

The development of new soybean cultivars requires the development andselection of soybean varieties, the crossing of these varieties andselection of superior hybrid crosses. The hybrid seed is produced bymanual crosses between selected male-fertile parents or by using malesterility systems. These hybrids are selected for certain single genetrains such as pod color, flower color, pubescence color or herbicideresistance which indicate that the seed was truly a hybrid. Additionaldata on parental lines as well as the phenotype of the hybrid influencethe breeder's decision to continue with the specific hybrid cross.

Pedigree breeding and recurrent selection breeding methods are used todevelop cultivars from breeding populations. Breeding programs combinedesirable traits from two or more cultivars or various broad-basedsources into breeding pools from which cultivars are developed byselfing and selection of desired phenotypes. The new cultivars areevaluated to determine which have commercial potential.

Pedigree breeding is used commonly for the improvement ofself-pollinating crops. Two parents which possess favorable,complementary traits are crossed to produce an F₁. An F₂ population isproduced by selfing one or several F1's. Selection of the bestindividuals may begin in the F₂ population; then, beginning in the F₃,the best individuals in the families are selected. Replicated testing offamilies can begin the F₄ generation to improve the effectiveness ofselection for traits with low heritability. At an advanced stage ofinbreeding (i.e., F₆ and F₇), the best lines or mixtures ofphenotypically similar lines are tested for potential release as newcultivars.

Mass and recurrent selections can be used to improve populations ofeither self- or cross-pollinating crops. A genetically variablepopulation of heterozygous individuals is either identified or createdby intercrossing several different parents. The best plants are selectedbased on individual superiority, outstanding progeny, or excellentcombining ability. The selected plants are intercrossed to produce a newpopulation in which further cycles of selection are continued.

Backcross breeding has been used to transfer genes for a simplyinherited, highly heritable trait into a desirable homozygous cultivaror inbred line which is the recurrent parent. The source of the trait tobe transferred is called the donor parent. The resulting plant isexpected to have the attributes of the recurrent parent (e.g., cultivar)and the desirable trait transferred from the donor parent. After theinitial cross, individuals possessing the phenotype of the donor parentare selected and repeatedly crossed (backcrossed) to the recurrentparent. The resulting plant is expected to have the attributes of therecurrent parent (e.g., cultivar) and the desirable trait transferredfrom the donor parent.

The single-seed descent procedure in the strict sense refers to plantinga segregating population, harvesting a sample of one seed per plant, andusing the one-seed sample to plant the next generation. When thepopulation has been advanced from the F₂ to the desired level ofinbreeding, the plants from which lines are derived will each trace todifferent F₂ individuals. The number of plants in a population declineseach generation due to failure of some seeds to germinate or some plantsto produce at least one seed. As a result, not all of the F₂ plantsoriginally sampled in the population will be represented by a progenywhen generation advance is completed.

In a multiple-seed procedure, soybean breeders commonly harvest one ormore pods from each plant in a population and thresh them together toform a bulk. Part of the bulk is used to plant the next generation andpart is put in reserve. The procedure has been referred to as modifiedsingle-seed descent or the pod-bulk technique. The multiple-seedprocedure has been used to save labor at harvest. It is considerablyfaster to thresh pods with a machine than to remove one seed from eachby hand for the single-seed procedure. The multiple-seed procedure alsomakes it possible to plant the same number of seeds of a population eachgeneration of inbreeding. Enough seeds are harvested to make up forthose plants that did not germinate or produce seed.

Descriptions of other breeding methods that are commonly used fordifferent traits and crops can be found in several reference books(e.g., Allard, 1960; Simmonds, 1979; Sneep et al., 1979; Fehr, 1987, allincorporated herein by reference).

Proper testing should detect any major faults and establish the level ofsuperiority or improvement over current cultivars. In addition toshowing superior performance, there must be a demand for a new cultivarthat is compatible with industry standards or which creates a newmarket. The introduction of a new cultivar will incur additional coststo the seed producer, the grower, the processor and the consumer, forspecial advertising and marketing, altered seed and commercialproduction practices, and new product utilization. The testingproceeding release of a new cultivar should take into considerationresearch and development costs as well as technical superiority of thefinal cultivar. For seed-propagated cultivars, it must be feasible toproduce seed easily and economically.

Soybean, Glycine max (L), is an important and valuable field crop. Thus,a continuing goal of plant breeders is to develop stable, high yieldingsoybean cultivars that are agronomically sound. The reasons for thisgoal are obviously to maximize the amount of grain produced on the landused and to supply food for both animals and humans. To accomplish thisgoal, the soybean breeder must select and develop soybean plants thathave the traits that result in superior cultivars.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention is a novel soybean cultivar designated S80-J2 with highyield potential, late (early group VIII) maturity, and high levels ofresistance to cyst nematode and stem canker. The invention relates toseeds of the cultivar S80-J2, plants of the cultivar S80-J2, and tomethods for producing a soybean plant by crossing of the cultivar S80-J2by itself or another soybean genotype.

The invention is also directed to soybean cultivar S80-J2 furthercomprising one or more specific, single gene traits, for exampletransgenes, and which has essentially all of the morphological andphysiological characteristics of cultivar S80-J2, in addition to the oneor more specific, single gene traits. The invention further relates toseeds of cultivar S80-J2 further comprising one or more specific, singlegene traits, plants of cultivar S80-J2 further comprising one or morespecific, single gene traits, and to methods for producing a soybeanplant produced by crossing a soybean S80-J2 further comprising one ormore specific, single gene traits by itself or another soybean genotype.

DEFINITIONS

In the description and tables which follow, a number of terms are used.In order to provide a clear and consistent understanding of thespecification and claims, including the scope to be given such terms,the following definitions are provided:

Maturity Date. Plants are considered mature when 95% of the pods havereached their mature color.

Seed Yield (Bushels/Acre). The yield in bushels/acre is the actual yieldof the grain at harvest.

Lodging Resistance. Lodging is rated on a scale of 1 to 9. Where one iscompletely upright and 9 is completely prostrate.

Emergence. This score indicates the ability of the seed to emerge whenplanted 3" deep in sand and with a controlled temperature of 25° C. Thenumber of plants that emerge each day are counted. Based on this data,each genotype is given a 1 to 9 score based on its rate of emergence andpercent of emergence, an intermediate score of 5 indicates averageratings.

Iron-Deficiency Chlorosis. Plants are scored 1 to 9 based on visualobservations. A score of 1 means no stunting of the plants or yellowingof the leaves and a score of 9 indicates the plants are dead or severelystunted due to iron-deficiency chlorosis.

Brown Stem Rot (Phialophora gregata (Allington and Chamberlain) W.Gams).Plants are scored from 1 to 9 by visually comparing all genotypes in agiven test. The score is based on leaf symptoms of yellowing andnecrosis caused by brown stem rot. A score of 1 indicates no symptoms.Visual scores range to a score of 9 which indicates severe symptoms ofleaf yellowing and necrosis.

Sudden Death Syndrome (Fusarium solani (Mart.) Sacc. f. sp. glycine).Plants are scored from 1 to 9 by visually comparing all genotypes in agiven test. The score is based on leaf symptoms of yellowing andnecrosis caused by sudden death syndrome. A score of 1 indicates nosymptoms. Visual scores range to a score of 9 which indicates severesymptoms of leaf yellowing and necrosis.

Phytophthora Root Rot (Phytophthora megasperma (Drechs.) var. sojaeHildebrand).

Shattering. The amount of pod dehiscence prior to harvest. Poddehiscence involves seeds falling from the pods to the soil. This is avisual score from 1 to 9 comparing all genotypes within a given test. Ascore of 1 means pods have not opened and no seeds have fallen out. Ascore of 9 indicates 100% of the pods are opened.

Plant Height. Plant height is taken from the top of soil to top of nodeof the plant and is measured in centimeters.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Parentage: A6297×H6686. A6297 is a commercial cultivar marketed byAsgrow Seed Company, H6686 is a commercial cultivar marketed by JacobHartz Seed Company. The cross of A6297×H6686 was made at Novartis Seeds,Inc. Research Station at Bay, Arkansas, in July 1989. The F1 generationwas grown in the field at Bay, Arkansas during the summer of 1990 andthe F2 and F3 generations were grown at the Novartis Seeds, Inc.Research Farm at Kekaha, Kauai, Hi., in the winter of 1990-91. The F4generation was grown at Novartis Seeds, Inc, Bay, Arkansas, during thesummer of 1991. Single plants were harvested and threshed individually.Each was grown as a progeny row at Bay, Arkansas during the summer of1992. One of these, designated B223784, was tested in a preliminaryyield trial at Bay and Marion, Arkansas during the summer of 1993, andperformed sufficiently well to be advanced to a second year trial at 3locations during 1994. It has been tested in the greenhouse at NovartisSeeds, Inc. Research Center at Bay, AR for resistance to cyst nematodefrom 1994 to 1998 and found to be resistant to race 3. It has also beentested in the field for resistance to Cercospora sojina in 1996 and 1997and found to be resistant to common isolates.

A soybean cultivar needs to be highly homogeneous, homozygous andreproducible to be useful as a commercial cultivar. There are manyanalytical methods available to determine the homozygotic and phenotypicstability of these varieties.

The oldest and most traditional method of analysis is the observation ofphenotypic traits. The data is usually collected in field experimentsover the life of the soybean plants to be examined. Phenotypiccharacteristics most often observed are for traits associated with seedyield, lodging resistance, disease resistance, emergence, maturity,plant height, shattering, flower color, pubescence color, pod color andhilum color.

In addition to phenotypic observations, the genotype of a plant can alsobe examined. There are many laboratory-based techniques available forthe analysis, comparison and characterization of plant genotype; amongthese are Isozyme Electrophoresis, Restriction Fragment LengthPolymorphisms (RFLPs), Randomly Amplified Polymorphic DNAs (RAPDs),Arbitrarily Primed Polymerase Chain Reaction (AP-PCR), DNA AmplificationFingerprinting (DAF), Sequence Characterized Amplified Regions (SCARs),Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphisms (AFLPs), and Simple SequenceRepeats (SSRs) which are also referred to as Microsatellites.

The cultivar of the invention has shown uniformity and stability for alltraits, as described in the following variety description information.It has been self-pollinated a sufficient number of generations, withcareful attention to uniformity of plant type to ensure homozygosity andphenotypic stability. The line has been increased with continuedobservation for uniformity. No variant traits have been observed or areexpected in S80-J2. Soybean cultivar S80-J2, being substantiallyhomozygous, can be reproduced by planting seeds of the line, growing theresulting soybean plants under self-pollinating or sib-pollinatingconditions, and harvesting the resulting seed, using techniques familiarto the agricultural arts.

Publications useful as references in interpreting the data presentedbelow include: Caldwell, B. E. ed. 1973. "Soybeans: Improvement,Production, and Uses" Amer. Soc. Agron. Monograph No. 16; Buttery, B.R., and R. I. Buzzell 1968. "Peroxidase Activity in Seed of SoybeanVarieties" Crop Sci. 8: 722-725; Hymowitz, T. 1973. "Electrophoreticanalysis of SBTI-A2 in the USDA Soybean Germplasm Collection" Crop Sci.,13: 420-421; Payne R. C., and L. F. Morris, 1976. "Differentiation ofSoybean Varieties by Seedling Pigmentation Patterns" J. Seed. Technol.1: 1-19. The disclosures of which are each incorporated by reference intheir entirety.

Soybean cultivar S80-J2 has the following morphologic and othercharacteristics:

    ______________________________________                                        Descriptive Traits.                                                                          Performance Traits.                                            ______________________________________                                        Flower Color:                                                                            White   Phytophthora Rot:                                                                            Susceptible                                   Pubescence Color: Tawny Cyst Nematode: Resistant race 3                       Pod Color: Tan Stem Canker: Resistant                                         Hilum Color: Black Frogeye Leafspot: Resistant                                Leaf Shape: Ovate Sudden Death Syndrome; Mod. Tolerant                        Stem Termination: Deter- Southern Root Knot: Mod. Resistant                    minate                                                                       Seed Coat Color: Yellow Peanut Root Knot: Susceptible                         Hypocotyl Color: Bronze Iron Chlorosis: Mod. Sensitive                        Maturity Group: 8 Seed Shatter: Resistant                                     Relative Maturity: 8-0 Hypocotyl Length: Long                               ______________________________________                                    

The invention also encompasses plants of cultivar S80-J2 and partsthereof further comprising one or more specific, single gene traits.Such traits are introgressed into cultivar S80-J2 from another soybeancultivar or are directly transformed into cultivar S80-J2. Preferably,one or more new traits are transferred to cultivar S80-J2, or,alternatively, one or more traits of cultivar S80-J2 are altered orsubstituted. The introgression of the trait(s) into cultivar S80-J2 isfor example achieved by recurrent selection breeding, for example bybackcrossing. In this case, cultivar S80-J2 (the recurrent parent) isfirst crossed to a donor inbred (the non-recurrent parent) that carriesthe appropriate gene(s) for the trait(s) in question. The progeny ofthis cross is then mated back to the recurrent parent followed byselection in the resultant progeny for the desired trait(s) to betransferred from the non-recurrent parent. After three, preferably four,more preferably five or more generations of backcrosses with therecurrent parent with selection for the desired trait(s), the progenywill be heterozygous for loci controlling the trait(s) beingtransferred, but will be like the recurrent parent for most or almostall other genes (see, for example, Poehlman & Sleper (1995) BreedingField Crops, 4th Ed., 172-175; Fehr (1987) Principles of CultivarDevelopment, Vol. 1: Theory and Technique, 360-376, incorporated hereinby reference).

The laboratory-based techniques described above, in particular RFLP andSSR, can be used in such backcrosses to identify the progenies havingthe highest degree of genetic identity with the recurrent parent. Thispermits one to accelerate the production of soybean cultivars having atleast 90%, preferably at least 95%, more preferably at least 99% geneticidentity with the recurrent parent, yet more preferably geneticallyidentical to the recurrent parent, and further comprising the trait(s)introgressed from the donor patent. Such determination of geneticidentity can be based on molecular markers used in the laboratory-basedtechniques described above. The last backcross generation is then selfedto give pure breeding progeny for the gene(s) being transferred. Theresulting plants have essentially all of the morphological andphysiological characteristics of cultivar S80-J2, in addition to thesingle gene trait(s) transferred to the inbred. The exact backcrossingprotocol will depend on the trait being altered to determine anappropriate testing protocol. Although backcrossing methods aresimplified when the trait being transferred is a dominant allele, arecessive allele may also be transferred. In this instance it may benecessary to introduce a test of the progeny to determine if the desiredtrait has been successfully transferred.

The cultivar of the invention can also be used for transformation whereexogenous genes are introduced and expressed by the cultivar of theinvention. Genetic variants created either through traditional breedingmethods using cultivar S80-J2 or through transformation of cultivarS80-J2 by any of a number of protocols known to those of skill in theart are intended to be within the scope of this invention (see e.g.Trick et al. (1997) Recent advances in soybean transformation, in PlantTissue Culture and Biotechnology, 3:9-26, incorporated herein byreference).

Production of a genetically modified plant tissue by transformationcombines teachings of the present disclosure with a variety oftechniques and expedients known in the art. In most instances alternateexpedients exist for each stage of the overall process. The choice ofexpedients depends on the variables such as the plasmid vector systemchosen for the cloning and introduction of the desired recombinant DNAmolecule, as well as the particular structural gene, promoter elementsand upstream elements used. Persons skilled in the art are able toselect and use appropriate alternatives to achieve functionality.Culture conditions for expressing desired structural genes and culturedcells are known in the art. Also as known in the art, soybeans aretransformable and regenerable such that whole plants containing andexpressing desired genes under regulatory control may be obtained.General descriptions of plant expression vectors and reporter genes andtransformation protocols can be found in Gruber, et al., "Vectors forPlant Transformation, in Methods in Plant Molecular Biology &Biotechnology" in Glich et al., (Eds. pp. 89-119, CRC Press, 1993).Moreover GUS expression vectors and GUS gene cassettes are availablefrom Clone Tech Laboratories, Inc., Palo Alto, Calif. while luciferaseexpression vectors and luciferase gene cassettes are available from ProMega Corp. (Madison, Wis.). General methods of culturing plant tissuesare provided for example by Maki et al. "Procedures for IntroducingForeign DNA into Plants" in Methods in Plant Molecular Biology &Biotechnology, Glich et al. (Eds. pp. 67-88 CRC Press, 1993); and byPhillips et al. "Cell-Tissue Culture and In-Vitro Manipulation" in Corn& Corn Improvement, 3rd Edition Sprague et al. (Eds. pp. 345-387)American Society of Agronomy Inc. et al. 1988. Methods of introducingdesired recombinant DNA molecule into plant tissue include the directinfection or co-cultivation of plant cells with Agrobacteriumtumefaciens, Horsch et al., Science, 227:1229 (1985). Descriptions ofAgrobacterium vector systems and methods for Agrobacterium-mediated genetransfer provided by Gruber, et al. supra.

Useful methods include but are not limited to expression vectorsintroduced into plant tissues using a direct gene transfer method suchas microprojectile-mediated delivery, DNA injection, electroporation andthe like. More preferably expression vectors are introduced into planttissues using the biolistic microprojectile delivery orAgrobacterium-medicated transformation. Transformed plants obtained viaprotoplast transformation are also intended to be within the scope ofthis invention.

Many traits have been identified that are not regularly selected for inthe development of a new inbred but that can be improved by backcrossingtechniques. Examples of traits transferred to cultivar S80-J2 include,but are not limited to, herbicide tolerance, resistance for bacterial,fungal, or viral disease, nematode resistance, insect resistance,enhanced nutritional quality, such as oil, starch and protein content orquality, improved performance in an industrial process, alteredreproductive capability, such as male sterility or male fertility, yieldstability and yield enhancement. Other traits transferred to cultivarS80-J2 are for the production of commercially valuable enzymes ormetabolites in plants of cultivar S80-J2.

Traits transferred to soybean cultivar S80-J2 are naturally occurringsoybean traits or are transgenic. Transgenes are directly introducedinto cultivar S80-J2 using genetic engineering and transformationtechniques well known in the art or are originally introduced into adonor, non-recurrent parent using genetic engineering and transformationtechniques well known in the art and are then introgressed into cultivarS80-J2. A transgene typically comprises a nucleotide sequence whoseexpression is responsible or contributes to the trait under the controlof a promoter appropriate for the expression of the nucleotide sequenceat the desired time in the desired tissue or part of the plant.Constitutive or inducible promoters are used. The transgene may alsocomprise other regulatory elements such as for example translationenhancers or termination signals. In a preferred embodiment, thenucleotide sequence is the coding sequence of a gene and is transcribedand translated into a protein. In another preferred embodiment, thenucleotide sequence encodes an antisense RNA or a sense RNA that is nottranslated or only partially translated.

Where more than one trait are introgressed into cultivar S80-J2, it ispreferred that the specific genes are all located at the same genomiclocus in the donor, non-recurrent parent, preferably, in the case oftransgenes, as part of a single DNA construct integrated into thedonor's genome. Alternatively, if the genes are located at differentgenomic loci in the donor, non-recurrent parent, backcrossing allows torecover all of the morphological and physiological characteristics ofcultivar S80-J2 in addition to the multiple genes in the resultingsoybean cultivar. The genes responsible for a specific, single genetrait are generally inherited through the nucleus. Known exceptions are,e.g. the genes for male sterility, some of which are inheritedcytoplasmically, but still act as single gene traits. In a preferredembodiment, a transgene to be introgressed into cultivar S80-J2 isintegrated into the nuclear genome of the donor, non-recurrent parent.In another preferred embodiment, a transgene to be introgressed intocultivar S80-J2 is integrated into the plastid genome of the donor,non-recurrent parent.

A trait transferred to cultivar S80-J2 is for example resistance tobrown stem rot (U.S. Pat. No. 5,689,035) or resistance to cyst nematodes(U.S. Pat. No. 5,491,081), both incorporated herein by reference. In apreferred embodiment, a transgene whose expression results orcontributes to a desired trait to be transferred to cultivar S80-J2comprises a gene encoding an insecticidal protein, such as, for example,a crystal protein of Bacillus thuringiensis or a vegetative insecticidalprotein from Bacillus cereus, such as VIP3 (see for example Estruch etal. Nat Biotechnol (1997) 15:137-41, incorporated herein by reference).In another preferred embodiment, a transgene introgressed into cultivarS80-J2 comprises a herbicide tolerance gene whose expression rendersplants of cultivar S80-J2 tolerant to the herbicide. For example,expression of an altered acetohydroxyacid synthase (AHAS) enzyme confersupon plants tolerance to various imidazolinone or sulfonamide herbicides(U.S. Pat. No. 4,761,373, incorporated herein by reference). In anotherpreferred embodiment, a non-transgenic trait conferring tolerance toimidazolinones or sulfonylurea herbicides is introgressed into cultivarS80-J2. U.S. Pat. No. 4,975,374, incorporated herein by reference,relates to plant cells and plants containing a gene encoding a mutantglutamine synthetase (GS) resistant to inhibition by herbicides that areknown to inhibit GS, e.g. phosphinothricin and methionine sulfoximine.Also, expression of a Streptomyces bar gene encoding a phosphinothricinacetyl transferase in maize plants results in tolerance to the herbicidephosphinothricin or glufosinate (U.S. Pat. No. 5,489,520, incorporatedherein by reference). Expression of a mutant acetolactate synthase (ALS)that render the plants resistant to inhibition by sulfonylureaherbicides (U.S. Pat. No. 5,013,659), incorporated herein by reference.U.S. Pat. No. 5,162,602, incorporated herein by reference, disclosesplants tolerant to inhibition by cyclohexanedione andaryloxyphenoxypropanoic acid herbicides. The tolerance is conferred byan altered acetyl coenzyme A carboxylase(ACCase). U.S. Pat. No.5,554,798, incorporated herein by reference, discloses transgenicglyphosate tolerant maize plants, which tolerance is conferred by analtered 5-enolpyruvyl-3-phosphoshikimate (EPSP) synthase gene. Also,tolerance to a protoporphyrinogen oxidase inhibitor is achieved byexpression of a tolerant protoporphyrinogen oxidase enzyme in plants(U.S. Pat. No. 5,767,373, incorporated herein by reference). In apreferred embodiment, a transgene introgressed into cultivar S80-J2comprises a gene conferring tolerance to a herbicide and at leastanother nucleotide sequence for another trait, such as for example,insect resistance or tolerance to another herbicide.

Specific transgenic events introgressed into cultivar S80-J2 are forexample found at http://www.aphis.usda.gov/bbep/bp/not₋₋ reg.html,incorporated herein by reference, and are for example introgressed fromevents G94-1, G94-19 or G-168 with altered oil profile (applicationnumber 9700801), from phosphinothricin tolerant events W62, W98,A2704-12, A2704-21 or A5547-35 (application number 9606801), fromglyphosate tolerant event 40-3-2 (application number 9325801).

Direct selection may be applied where the trait acts as a dominanttrait. An example of a dominant trait is herbicide tolerance. For thisselection process, the progeny of the initial cross are sprayed with theherbicide prior to the backcrossing. The spraying eliminates any plantwhich do not have the desired herbicide tolerance characteristic, andonly those plants which have the herbicide tolerance gene are used inthe subsequent backcross. This process is then repeated for theadditional backcross generations.

This invention is also directed to methods for producing a soybean plantby crossing a first parent soybean plant with a second parent soybeanplant, wherein the first or second soybean plant is a soybean plant fromcultivar S80-J2 or a plant from cultivar S80-J2 further comprising oneor more specific, single gene traits have been introgressed. Further,both first and second parent soybean plants may be from the cultivarS80-J2 or from cultivar S80-J2 further comprising one or more specific,single gene traits. Therefore, any methods using the cultivar S80-J2 arepart of this invention; selfing, backcrosses, hybrid breeding, andcrosses to populations. Any plants produced using cultivar S80-J2 orcultivar S80-J2 further comprising one or more specific, single genetraits as a parent are within the scope of this invention. For example,the soybean cultivar S80-J2 or cultivar S80-J2 further comprising one ormore specific, single gene traits could be used in crosses with other,different, soybean plants to produce first generation (F1) soybeanhybrid seeds and plants with superior characteristics. For example, amethod to produce a hybrid soybean seed comprises the steps of plantingin pollinating proximity seeds of soybean cultivar S80-J2, and anothersoybean cultivar, cultivating soybean plants resulting from said seedsuntil said plants bear flowers, emasculating the male flowers of theplants of either one or the other soybean cultivar, inducing crosspollination to occur between said soybean cultivars and harvesting seedsproduced on said emasculated plants of the cultivar line.

As used herein, the term "plant" includes plant cells, plantprotoplasts, plant cells of tissue culture from which soybean plants canbe regenerated, plant calli, plant clumps, and plant cells that areintact in plants or parts of plants, such as pollen, flowers, seeds,pods, leaves, stems, and the like. Thus, another aspect of thisinvention is to provide for cells which upon growth and differentiationproduce the cultivar S80-J2.

Further reproduction of the cultivar can occur by tissue culture andregeneration. Tissue culture of various tissues of soybeans andregeneration of plants therefrom is well known and widely published. Forexample, reference may be had to Komatsuda, T. et al., "Genotype XSucrose Interactions for Somatic Embryogenesis in Soybean," Crop Sci.31:333-337 (1991); Stephens, P. A. et al., "Agronomic Evaluation ofTissue-Culture-Derived Soybean Plants," Theor. Appl. Genet. (1991)82:633-635; Komatsuda, T. et al., "Maturation and Germination of SomaticEmbryos as Affected by Sucrose and Plant Growth Regulators in SoybeansGlycine gracilis Skvortz and Glycine max (L.) Merr.," Plant Cell, Tissueand Organ Culture, 28:103-113 (1992); Dhir, S. et al., "Regeneration ofFertile Plants from Protoplasts of Soybean (Glycine max L. Merr.):Genotypic Differences in Culture Response," Plant Cell Reports (1992)11:285-289; Pandey, P. et al., "Plant Regeneration from Leaf andHypocotyl Explants of Glycine wightii (W. and A.) VERDC. varlongicauda," Japan J. Breed. 42:1-5 (1992); and Shetty, K., et al.,"Stimulation of In Vitro Shoot Organogenesis in Glycine max (Merrill.)by Allantoin and Amides," Plant Science 81:(1992) 245-251; as well asU.S. Pat. No. 5,024,944, issued Jun. 18, 1991 to Collins et al. and U.S.Pat. No. 5,008,200, issued Apr. 16, 1991 to Ranch et al., thedisclosures of which are hereby incorporated herein in their entirety byreference. Thus, another aspect of this invention is to provide cellswhich upon growth and differentiation produce soybean plants having thephysiological and morphological characteristics of cultivar S80-J2.

The seed of soybean cultivar S80-J2 or soybean cultivar S80-J2 furthercomprising one or more specific, single gene traits, the plant producedfrom the seed, the hybrid soybean plant produced from the crossing ofthe variety with any other soybean plant, hybrid seed, and various partsof the hybrid soybean plant can be utilized for human food, livestockfeed, and as a raw material in industry.

Soybean is the world's leading source of vegetable oil and protein meal.The oil extracted from soybeans is used for cooking oil, margarine, andsalad dressings. Soybean oil is composed of saturated, monounsaturatedand polyunsaturated fatty acids. It has a typical composition of 11%palmitic, 4% stearic, 25% oleic, 50% linoleic and 9% linolenic fattyacid content ("Economic Implications of Modified Soybean Traits SummaryReport", Iowa Soybean Promotion Board & American Soybean AssociationSpecial Report 92S, May 1990. Changes in fatty acid composition forimproved oxidative stability and nutrition are constantly sought after.Industrial uses of soybean oil which is subjected to further processinginclude ingredients for paints, plastics, fibers, detergents, cosmetics,and lubricants. Soybean oil may be split, interesterified, sulfurized,epoxidized, polymerized, ethoxylated, or cleaved. Designing andproducing soybean oil derivatives with improved functionality,oliochemistry, is a rapidly growing field. The typical mixture oftriglycerides is usually split and separated into pure fatty acids,which are then combined with petroleum-derived alcohols or acids,nitrogen, sulfonates, chlorine, or with fatty alcohols derived from fatsand oils.

Soybean is also used as a food source for both animals and humans.Soybean is widely used as a source of protein for animal feeds forpoultry, swine and cattle. During processing of whole soybeans, thefibrous hull is removed and the oil is extracted. The remaining soybeanmeal is a combination of carbohydrates and approximately 50% protein.For human consumption soybean meal is made into soybean flour which isprocessed to protein concentrates used for meat extenders or specialtypet foods. Production of edible protein ingredients from soybean offersa healthy, less expensive replacement for animal protein in meats aswell as dairy-type products.

Tables

S80-J2 was tested in Novartis Seeds, Inc Advanced Yield Trials from1996-98. Data collected were for yield (bushels per acre); Maturity date(95% leaf drop); lodging, score (1=upright, 9=completely prostrate);plant height (cm), from ground level to the top of plant; cyst score(1=resistant, 9=susceptible); Southern Stem Canker (DPM) score(1=resistant, 9=susceptible) and Frogeye leafspot (FELS), score(1=resistant, 9=susceptible). Avg.=number of tests. Data are summarizedin the following table.

    __________________________________________________________________________         Yield                                                                              Maturity                                                                           Height                                                                             Lodging                                                                           Cyst DPM FELS                                           Variety Avg. 35 Avg. 9 Avg. 14 Avg. 7 (Race 14) Avg. 3 Avg. 2               __________________________________________________________________________    S80-J2                                                                             43.3 10-21                                                                              98   2.7 8.0  1.2 1.0                                            S 75-55 43.0 10-17 97 2.9 1.0 1.0 9.0                                         S73-Z5 41.4 10-16 96 3.0 9.0 1.0 1.0                                          P9692 40.9 10-15 89 2.6 3.0 1.3 9.0                                           LSD(0.05)  2.4 3  4 2.2  0.7 9.0                                              Trait mean 42.2 10-17 95 2.8 5.8 1.1 6.0                                    __________________________________________________________________________

Deposit Information

Applicants have made a deposit of at least 2500 seeds of the cultivar ofthe present invention with the American Type Culture Collection (ATCC),Manassas, Va., 20110-2209 U.S.A., ATCC Accession No: 203821. The seedsdeposited with the ATCC on Mar. 4, 1999 were taken from the depositmaintained by Novartis Corporation, 3054 Cornwallis Road, ResearchTriangle Park, N.C. 27709, since prior to the filing date of thisapplication. This deposit of cultivar S80-J2 will be maintained in theATCC depository, which is a public depository, for a period of 30 years,or 5 years after the most recent request, or for the enforceable life ofthe patent, whichever is longer, and will be replaced if it becomesnonviable during that period. Additionally, Applicants have satisfiedall the requirements of 37 C.F.R. §§1.801-1.809, including providing anindication of the viability of the sample. Applicants impose norestrictions on the availability of the deposited material from theATCC; however, Applicants have no authority to waive any restrictionsimposed by law on the transfer of biological material or itstransportation in commerce. Applicants do not waive any infringement ofits rights granted under this patent or under the Plant VarietyProtection Act (7 USC 2321 et seq.).

The foregoing invention has been described in detail by way ofillustration and example for purposes of clarity and understanding.However, it will be obvious that certain changes and modifications suchas single gene modifications and mutations, somaclonal variants, variantindividuals selected from large populations of the plants of the instantinbred and the like may be practiced within the scope of the invention,as limited only by the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. Seed of soybean cultivar S80-J2 having beendeposited under ATCC Accession No:
 203821. 2. A soybean plant, or partsthereof, of cultivar S80-J2, seed of said cultivar having been depositedunder ATCC Accession No:
 203821. 3. Pollen of the plant of claim
 2. 4.An ovule of the plant of claim
 2. 5. A soybean plant, or parts thereof,having all the physiological and morphological characteristics of aplant of cultivar S80-J2, seed of said cultivar having been depositedunder ATCC Accession No:
 203821. 6. A male sterile soybean plant, orparts thereof, otherwise having all the physiological and morphologicalcharacteristics of a plant of cultivar S80-J2, seed of said cultivarhaving been deposited under ATCC Accession No:
 203821. 7. A soybeanplant, or parts thereof, of cultivar S80-J2, seeds of said cultivarhaving been deposited under ATCC Accession No:203821, further comprisinga single gene transferred trait.
 8. A soybean plant according to claim7, wherein said single gene transferred trait comprises a transgene. 9.A soybean plant according to claim 8, wherein said transgene comprises agene conferring upon said soybean plant tolerance to a herbicide.
 10. Asoybean plant according to claim 9, wherein said herbicide isglyphosate, glufosinate, a sulfonylurea or an imidazolinone herbicide,or a protoporphyrinogen oxidase inhibitor.
 11. A soybean plant accordingto claim 8, wherein said transgene comprises a gene conferring upon saidsoybean plant insect resistance, disease resistance or virus resistance.12. A soybean plant according to claim 11, wherein said gene conferringupon said soybean plant insect resistance comprises a gene encoding acrystal protein of Bacillus thuringiensis or a vegetative insecticidalprotein from Bacillus cereus.
 13. A tissue culture of regenerable cellsof a soybean plant of cultivar S80-J2, seed of said cultivar having beendeposited under ATCC Accession No: 203821, wherein the tissueregenerates plants capable of expressing all the morphological andphysiological characteristics of plants of said cultivar S80-J2.
 14. Asoybean plant regenerated from the tissue culture of claim 13, capableof expressing all the morphological and physiological characteristics ofcultivar S80-J2, seed of said cultivar having been deposited under ATCCAccession No:
 203821. 15. A method for producing a soybean seedcomprising crossing a first parent soybean plant with a second parentsoybean plant and harvesting the resultant first generation soybeanseed, wherein said first or second parent soybean plant is a soybeanplant of cultivar S80-J2, seed of said cultivar having been depositedunder ATCC Accession No: 203821 or a soybean plant having all thephysiological and morphological characteristics of a plant of cultivarS80-J2.
 16. A method according to claim 15, wherein said first parentsoybean plant is different from said second parent soybean plant,wherein said resultant seed is a first generation (F1) hybrid soybeanseed.
 17. A method according to claim 15, wherein said soybean plant ofcultivar S80-J2, seed of said cultivar having been deposited under ATCCAccession No: 203821 or said soybean plant having all the physiologicaland morphological characteristics of a plant of cultivar S80-J2 is thefemale parent.
 18. A method according to claim 15, wherein said soybeanplant of cultivar S80-J2, seed of said cultivar having been depositedunder ATCC Accession No: 203821 or said soybean plant having all thephysiological and morphological characteristics of a plant of cultivarS80-J2 is the male parent.
 19. An F1 hybrid soybean seed produced by themethod of claim
 16. 20. An F1 hybrid soybean plant, or parts thereof,grown from the seed of claim
 19. 21. A method for producing soybean seedcomprising crossing a first parent soybean plant with a second parentsoybean plant and harvesting the resultant first generation soybeanseed, wherein said first or second parent soybean plant is the soybeanplant of claim
 7. 22. A method according to claim 21, wherein said firstparent soybean plant is different from said second parent soybean plant,wherein said resultant seed is a first generation (F1) hybrid soybeanseed.
 23. A method according to claim 22, wherein said soybean plant ofclaim 7 is the female parent.
 24. A method according to claim 22,wherein said soybean plant of claim 7 is the male parent.
 25. An F1hybrid soybean seed produced by the method of claim
 22. 26. An F1 hybridsoybean plant, or parts thereof, grown from the seed of claim
 25. 27.Seeds of a plant according to claim 7.